Teas property to be preserved for the Bellaire community

REAL ESTATE

ROBIN FOSTER, CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT

Published
6:30 am CST, Tuesday, December 29, 2009

A history of Bellaire isn't complete without mention of the Teas family and the nursery business they brought there in 1910. Now, another prominent family is making sure that legacy is preserved for generations to come.

Through their private trust, brothers Jerry and Maury “Bo” Rubenstein have purchased the five-acre Teas Nursery property at 4400 Bellaire Boulevard with plans to donate it to the city of Bellaire.

The sale, which includes two historic structures, closed Tuesday, Dec. 15, said Scott Rubenstein, who handled the negotiations for the family through Pipeline Realty. He said his uncle, Jerry, and father, Bo, learned of the Teas family's plans to develop the property for residential use and recognized its value for use by the broader community.

“It is the last largely undeveloped tract in the city and, frankly, in the inner loop of the city of Houston where you can do something that can be used by people from all around the city,” Rubenstein said.

“We're not sure what the city's needs are right now. We're in preliminary discussions to find out. It won't be residential, though,” he added.

The Rubenstein brothers are longtime residents of Bellaire. Like the Teas family, they own a family business, Texas Pipe and Supply, which has been passed down generation-to-generation for 100 years.

“They feel strongly about the city. They love it and want to give back to the community,” Rubenstein said.

The property includes the 1916 Teas family home. Under the terms of the sale, Teas Nursery will occupy the property until mid-February. Company president Tom Teas has said the business will relocate. The maintenance portion of the company has been sold to longtime general manager Jerry Muton, who operates Texas Lawn and Sprinkler Co. with his son at 6328 Adler in Houston.

Teas Nursery was recognized with a marker by the Texas Historical Commission during the company's 150th anniversary year in 1993. It was founded by John C. Teas in Indiana, moved to Missouri in 1868 and then to Bellaire in 1910 after his son, horticulturist Edward Teas Sr., met W.W. Baldwin as he was developing Westmoreland Farms and the town of Bellaire.

The company also helped with beautification of Paseo Park in the heart of Bellaire, Hieronymus said. Its contribution is commemorated on a monument in the park.

“Our main thrust is to preserve the memories of Bellaire's past and to help ensure that the memories we're making today are preserved for the future,” she added. “I'm sure that in the next 100 years, our citizens will be very happy about this generation's contributions to the city.”